Game Recap: Wild 5, Capitals 1

WASHINGTON -- Kirill Kaprizov scored a goal for his 500th NHL point, and the Minnesota Wild defeated the Washington Capitals 5-1 at Capital One Arena on Sunday.

Kaprizov (245 goals, 255 assists) hit the milestone with an empty-net goal at 19:02 of the third period to make it 4-1. He became the second player in Wild history to reach the mark, joining Mikko Koivu (709). He also tied Evgeni Malkin (413 games) as the fourth-fastest active player to record 500 career points, behind Connor McDavid (369 games), Sidney Crosby (369 games) and Alex Ovechkin (373 games).

Quinn Hughes, Michael McCarron, Maxim Shabanov and Danila Yurov scored for the Wild (10-3-3), who have points in five straight (4-0-1). Joel Eriksson Ek and Bobby Brink each had two assists. Jesper Wallstedt made 26 saves.

“Washington came with some good, they had some pushes and surges at times in the game, and they had some good looks,” Minnesota coach John Hynes said. “They're a big strong team too. They get in and around the net. They’ve got strong sticks, and he came up with some big saves.”

Justin Sourdif scored the lone goal for the Capitals (8-5-0), who had won three straight. Logan Thompson made 24 saves.

“I think we had a solid 40 minutes,” Sourdif said of the final two periods. “We were playing really hard, playing together. … I just think in the first period we came out a little flat, and they were ready to go and we were behind the eight ball there.”

Hughes gave the Wild a 1-0 lead at 3:42 of the first period. He took a pass along the right boards from Jonas Brodin, skated across to the high slot and scored when his snap shot trickled in between Thompson’s pads.

McCarron increased the lead to 2-0 at 5:27. Brink’s backhand pass from behind the goal line deflected off Blake Coleman to McCarron, who scored on a wrist shot from the right hash marks.

“I just think tonight in particular we got off to a good start,” Hynes said. “We were moving the puck well. I thought our puck pressure and the pace of the game that we played with was strong, and it allowed us to be able to make a couple plays and put a couple in the net early.”

Sourdif cut the deficit to 2-1 when he deflected Cole Hutson’s point shot past Wallstedt at 19:54 of the second period.

“It was overwhelming to start,” Washington coach Spencer Carbery said of the opening minutes of the game. “And I felt like our guys were very overwhelmed in that moment. Then we were able to settle in and get to our game.”

The Capitals nearly tied it at around 5:30 of the third period. Hutson’s shot deflected off Alex Ovechkin’s skate at the left post and the puck skittered across the goal line, but Dylan Strome was unable to tip it in at the right post.

“I thought (Hutson) was going to sling it to the net sometime, but he caught me in the middle of a transition … up to my feet and working around the screen and I just ended up being late to it,” Wallstedt said. “Fortunately, (Ovechkin) missed that, and then there was just scrambling, and got a good stick by Yurov and got the puck out. So, yeah, it was fun.”

Wallstedt stopped Washington forward Alex Tuch alone in front after a turnover at the 14:56 mark.

Shabanov made it 3-1 when he scored on a wrist shot during a power play at 17:37.

“The way our games have gone lately, there's been more penalties called probably early in the game,” Wild defenseman Zach Bogosian said. “But it's always good for us when you have those top five guys go on the ice together and get them kind of puck touches and momentum for the game.”

Shortly after Kaprizov's goal, Yurov buried a one-timer from the high slot during a 5-on-3 power play at 19:35 for the 5-1 final.

“Yeah, it’s frustrating for sure,” Capitals forward Pierre-Luc Dubois said of the late penalties. “But you know, if we start better then we don’t put ourselves in that spot.”

NOTES: Hughes (64 games) became the third-fastest defenseman in Wild history to score 10 goals with the franchise, behind Mathew Dumba (49 games) and Kurtis Foster (58 games). ... Kaprizov (eight points; four goals, four assists), Hughes (eight points; three goals, five assists) and Eriksson Ek (seven points; three goals, four assists) each extended his point streak to five games. ... Wild defenseman David Spacek assisted on Yurov’s goal for his first NHL point. ... Washington forward Jordan Kyrou had his six-game point streak end (nine points; three goals, six assists). ... The Capitals acquired goalie Remi Poirier from the New Jersey Devils earlier in the day in exchange for Washington’s seventh-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. … Capitals defenseman Dylan McIlrath was placed on waivers earlier in the day.